


Left Field

by Stingray



Category: Chicago Fire
Genre: Accidental Cuddling, Angst, Fluff, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, Inability to Hold Things, Kelly is a Sweet Angel, M/M, Matt needs a hug, Or 12, Sprains, concussion, injuries, temporary handicap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-21
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-12-18 11:08:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11873094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stingray/pseuds/Stingray
Summary: Sometimes, suddenly and without warning, a disastrous situation can turn into something better than you could've ever imagined.[Wherein Matt's accident renders him temporarily useless, and he struggles with even the most basic of tasks, so it's up to Kelly to make sure the poor guy doesn't starve or go insane.]





	1. Chapter 1

"Matt!?" Not Casey, not even Case. It sounded nice when the first name bounced off his lips.  _Matt_. 

Severide was calling out to him in worry, and it was obvious of course; the reasoning, that is. Matt had nearly begged Kelly to help him finish this damn construction gig, it was for some asshole who thought he had all the authority in the world. But it was an asshole with money and Matt was in need of the cash. Nonetheless, this job had him puling his hair out and Matt just wanted to finish it before the idiot changed his mind about something else.

Kelly would have done it out of his own free will, because he was the type of guy who helped his friends if they asked no matter what. But Matt promised him a six-pack and half the earnings after the long day they'd inevitably have, mostly to compensate for his douchebag client who was sure to make at least a few appearances.

At this particular moment though, all was put aside. Matt wasn't thinking about Asshole McAssface, he wasn't thinking about the window he was replacing, heck his mind wasn't even thinking about the clank of his hammer as it fell from the scaffolding and hit two rails before landing on the ground with a thud.

Nah, Matt was thinking about the pancake he was about to turn into. He was completely focused on the way the ground seemed to be getting closer to him. Or maybe he was getting closer to the ground? _Yes_. That was it. He was falling; not gently like a feather, but more like a bag of bricks. He was hurdling to the ground at a nauseating pace that made his stomach do a backflip, and made his heart drop into his throat.

Even though Matt felt like he was travelling through the air at a hypersonic speed, everything seemed to be going in slow motion. He reached out everywhere, trying to find something, _anything_ , to hold onto. Without really thinking much about it, Matt's hands shot in front of him, ready to take the brunt of the impact when he made contact with the garden he was heading toward.

That's why Kelly had yelled Matt's name, because when Matt landed in a head on top of some mulch and what used to be flowers, he didn't move. Kelly wasted no time in rushing down the two-story high scaffolding, running towards Matt's lifeless body.

"Matt?" Kelly skidded to a stop by Matt's head, kneeling down to observe the man, who, at the current moment lay face down. This made it hard to tell if the poor guy was alive, let alone breathing. Kelly reached two fingers around Matt's neck, searching for a pulse, heaving out a long sigh of relief when he found one.

"Didn't think you were getting rid of me that easy, did ya?" Matt mumbled with a wry grin.

 

>>>

 

"Family of Casey?" 

Severide stood immediately, "Yeah, uh-.. that's me."

"Alright, if you don't mind, may I ask your relation to Mr. Casey?" The nurse questioned sceptically, loudly chewing gum with her mouth half open.

"Co-worker, best friend, roommate, you name it." Severide nodded with a small smile. "Oh, and I'm his emergency contact." He assumed Matt hadn't changed it since last year.

The nurse looked at him with beady, unimpressed eyes, "Kay.." She shrugged nonchalantly, "..follow me."

Severide wasn't sure about the vibe he was getting off this woman, but he was just glad to be seeing Casey again. He'd given Severide quite the scare earlier.

"Hey," Casey grinned, holding his forearms up in the air when Severide walked in.

"Hi." Severide returned the smile, admiring the splints that stretched from Matt's fingers to halfway down his forearm. "You okay?" 

Casey nodded tiredly, "Yeah."

"Any other injuries?"

The doctor who had just popped into the room at the moment Kelly had asked, immediately spoke up. "Well, to answer that, I've just got the results of Matt's CT scan. Luckily, he just has a concussion. And the X-rays show no fractures on your wrists, definitely just some heavy spraining. Should heal up just fine with just the splints."

Kelly nodded with a small smile, how the hell Matt had managed to pull off a fall like that with this being the only extent of injuries was nothing far from miraculous.

"Now, he can go home, but only if he has someone to keep an eye on him for the first while, that's just in case he displays concerning concussion symptoms. If no one is available to stay with him, we'll just keep him here for observation." The doctor continued as he glanced between them expectantly, looking for an answer.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kelly could see Matt's pleading eyes boring into him. He very well knew Kelly had a date tonight with some new girl he'd met at the bar last week, but Matt didn't want to be here longer than he had to. "No problem," Kelly affirmed with a nod. He didn't miss Matt's little sigh of relief.

 

>>>

 

"You realize I have to cancel my date now, right?" Kelly said aloud, amusement trickling from his voice as he unlocked the front door of their shared apartment.

Matt shrugged and laughed, albeit somewhat dryly. "You don't have to stay. I'm sure I'll be just fine."

"Like hell I'm leaving you," Kelly scoffed, shaking his head fondly, "Besides, you're really doing me a favour."

Matt raised an eyebrow, he was still trying to get his shoes off. "Why?"

"Because I'm pretty sure she's just in it for my money." Kelly grinned, hanging his jacket in the closet before kneeling down in front of Matt and untying the laces on his high tops. With the laces loosened, Matt was able to toe off the shoes within seconds. He shot Kelly a grateful glance, the corner of his mouth quirked up.

"Pffft," Matt scoffed sarcastically, "What money?" 

Kelly just laughed as he went to the fridge pulling out two bottles of water, handing one to Matt and keeping the other for himself. Kelly chugged half his in one go, setting the bottle on the counter while he went about cleaning the couple dishes that were in the sink.

He'd just finished drying them and setting them on the counter when he glanced up, taking in the sight of Matt fumbling with his water, still trying to get the damn twist-top off. Suddenly he did get the lid off, and whether from his limited grip or the build-up of condensation, the bottle slipped and fell onto the tile floor between them. "Fuck." Matt muttered in annoyance at himself. He quickly grabbed a dish towel from the drawer and began drying up the water.

"I got it, Casey."

Kelly grabbed another towel and began helping with the spilled liquid. Matt tried to simply pick up the bottle so he could throw it away, and it was nearly painful to watch. His efforts were futile since his fingers were so restricted by the braces, and the pain medication he was given was wearing off. "Case... I got it."

Matt sighed dejectedly, "It's my mess."

"Don't worry about it," Kelly shook his head, gently grabbing the blonde's hands and lifting them away from the mess. His grip lasted a few seconds than it probably should have, but there was this hesitation inside of him that stopped him from moving. He looked up at Matt intently, "Just let me do this, okay?"

Matt peered from Kelly's face down to where the man's rough, calloused fingers wrapped around his braces. "Okay." The blonde nodded hesitantly, an edge of defeat lingering in the back of his voice. Kelly slowly uncurled his fingers, letting his hands drop back to the mess as he continued cleaning up. 

Matt stood up and hoisted himself on the kitchen counter, watching as Kelly worked. "Sorry, man."

Kelly chuckled, looking to the ground as he mopped up the last of the water. "Don't worry about it." 

Matt nodded subtly, gazing at the bulky, wildly inconvenient braces on his arms. He was in store for a challenging few weeks, that's for sure. 

When Kelly finished, which was only a minute or two later, he noticed Matt had his eyes closed. The dark-haired lieutenant watched in concern at the way Matt was slumping over a bit, his head bowed. "You okay?" Kelly murmured, taking a step closer.

Matt's eyes popped open, "Yeah, just a bit of a headache." He muttered, trying to force a smile. He didn't want anyone to worry, even if his head felt like it was about to crack open and implode into itself. The throbbing was intense, like someone was going at his head with a jackhammer. He moaned inwardly as he pushed himself from the counter and his feet hit the floor, sending a jolt of pain straight through his body. It kinda threw Matt off balance and next thing he knew, he was falling into Kelly. The dark-haired man was quick to catch Matt, wrapping his arms around him so he wouldn't hit the floor.

"Sorry," Matt mumbled hoarsely, "Little dizzy." 

Kelly was told by the doctor that it was normal if Matt was experiencing stuff like that, it was just because of the concussion. Headaches, changes in alertness, dizziness, nausea, irritability; Kelly was prepared for it all, even having to wake him up every one or two hours.

"It's all good, buddy. How about we get you to the couch."

Matt nodded as he tried to fix himself upon his wobbly legs, it wasn't easy and he couldn't really manage. He fell right back into Kelly's chest, waiting for the room to stop spinning. "I- I can't.."

"It's okay, I got you." Kelly wrapped his arm around Matt's waist, and Matt slung an arm around Kelly's neck as they slowly made their way to the couch in the living room. Kelly continued to help Matt, sitting him down carefully.

"Thanks." The blonde rested his head back on the couch cushion. "Everything was spinning."

Kelly smiled, walking back to retrieve his water and get Matt another. Kelly looked at the bottle in his hands, wondering how he could make it easier for Matt to drink. He suddenly had a bit of a lightbulb moment as he reached for a cup from the cupboard. Kelly filled it up and stuck a straw in it, immediately satisfied with his work. He brought it over to Matt, "Here, drink." Kelly offered as he moved the cup closer to his face, holding the straw against his lips.

Matt took a few sips before turning his head away, "Thanks," He said quietly, 

"No problem." Kelly set the cup back on the table, grabbing the remote as he pulled his hand back. "Has the world stopped spinning for ya?" Kelly asked as he turned the tv on.

"Almos--" Matt spoke, a yawn interrupting his speech.

Kelly looked over at Matt with a big grin on his face, "Get some sleep, I'll wake you up in an hour. Make sure you're still alive." 

"Kay." Matt whispered, already half asleep.

If you'd asked Kelly what show was playing on tv, he probably couldn't have told you. Because he wasn't really watching, he was too busy thinking. He couldn't stop his mind from wandering, wondering what would've happened if he'd been the one to fall. He had hated seeing Matt in pain, even if the guy was smiling and trying his best to be a good sport about it. Looking over, Kelly noticed that Matt seemed to be sleeping peacefully, it was at least something to be grateful about. 

 

>>> 

 

Precisely an hour later, Kelly reached out and gently shook Matt's shoulder. "Case?" He didn't really move and the only sound of his was a little moan that breezed through his lips.

"Casey?" He said just a little louder, watching in amusement as Casey's eyes fluttered open and gave him a disapproving look. 

Kelly grinned, trying to remember one of the questions the doctor suggested he ask, "Still remember who I am?"

Matt groaned in annoyance, "Nnngh... th- the second-best lieutenant at 51."

"Umm, I think there's something wrong with your brain, buddy." Kelly chirped, "We should probably go back to the hospital."

Matt laughed softly, wincing slightly as he adjusted his position on the couch, deciding to lay down instead of sitting at the awkward ankle. He rubbed at his stiff neck, hoping for some relief as he tried to go back to sleep. He shivered a little as he curled up, his body beginning to cool down from the outside back in.

Kelly stood up and grabbed a cozy blanket from the hall closet, he unfolded it and spread it over Matt, tucking it in around the sides. The dark-haired lieutenant returned to his former spot, sitting down barely half a foot from Matt's head. He reached forward to the coffee table in front of him, grabbing the water and holding the straw to Matt's lips for the second time. Matt sipped a few times through the straw, flashing a small smile up at Kelly before letting his eyes flutter closed for the second time.

"Get some more sleep." Kelly whispered, the corner of his mouth quirking up.

Matt nodded subtly, letting the pull of the dark abyss loop him into another round of sleep. Matt fell slowly and deeply into the horrifying nightmares that awaited him. It wasn't fifteen minutes later that he started whimpering and shifting around. Kelly wasn't sure if he should wake the poor guy up or just let him go through it on his own, but when Matt's nightmare started getting worse. _Well_ , it wasn't in Kelly to just let his friend suffer like this.

"Shhh, Case." Kelly reached a hand out, gently placing it on top of Matt's head, letting his thumb rub circles against his blonde hair. "Shh.."

To his surprise, Matt immediately quieted down. They'd always been close friends, and of course they were always there for each other, but he hadn't known that he would have so much of an effect on the guy. Of course, maybe it was just a coincidence. Deep down though, Kelly kinda sensed how things were, he knew there was more to their friendship than either of them knew, that sneaky tension that crept up behind them at the best of times.

 

>>>

 

The next time Kelly woke Matt up, it was closer to the two hour mark. "Casey. Wake up." Kelly finally moved his hand, putting in on top of Matt's shoulder instead. 

Matt groaned, already annoyed at the whole procedure of having to be woken up every hour. 

"What's your name?" Kelly asked, a smile on his face, hoping to help make the process a little easier on Matt.

"Matthew Casey, or just Casey, or Case, or Matt... Matty is reserved for my lovers." The blonde murmured, curling in on himself again.

Kelly laughed heartily, "What lovers?" 

"Haven't you noticed all the women flocking by my side since I left Dawson?" Matt smirked goofily. 

"Oh, you mean that 80 year old lady you pulled from the fire last week?" The dark-haired lieutenant teased, "Didn't know you were after the cougars."

"No, no. She was too stalker-ish, a bit clingy," Matt cringed dramatically, staring up Kelly. "I was talking about the 90 year from the week before."

Kelly laughed a little, "Oh is that right? So is it serious?" 

"Yep," Matt giggled, his eyes fluttering back closed. "Wanna be my best man?" 

"Of course," Kelly's grin was genuine, unlike many had been these days. He hoped that him and Matt could do this more, especially when the guy wasn't overly concussed. Just hang out and watch stupid shows.

"Can I go back to sleep, Kel?" Matt murmured tiredly, glancing at Severide for approval.

Kelly nodded, "Of course. See you in a bit." He smiled widely, giving the man a clap on the shoulder.

Thirty-four minutes later, Matt started moving in his sleep. He wasn't having a nightmare this time, instead, he seemed to be searching for a more comfortable position to lay in. The blonde shuffled around for about three entire minutes, moving up the couch, down the couch and everywhere in-between until finally, _finally_ he settled in the one place Kelly least expected. _His lap_. It was a sight for Kelly that he wasn't entirely prepared to see, that blonde fluffy hair, sticking in every direction. That face of his, pushed up against Kelly's abdomen, buried in the soft shift the darker-haired man was wearing. Kelly would never admit it aloud, but the sight alone.. it made his heart skip a beat, made his eyes well up with tears that stayed glued to his eyes. Suddenly he was overcome with this deep-rooted emotion and he wasn't even sure why, he was confused and completely couldn't understand why he was feeling this way.

 

>>>

 

Kelly let Matt sleep well past the two hour mark this time, he was sure Matt was fine and would continue to be fine, plus he needed his rest. However, this didn't mean Kelly would neglect his duties as the waker-upper, it's just.. he looked so peaceful in his lap... and maybe Kelly just didn't want this to end. "Casey?" Kelly's voice was loud enough that it would wake the blonde up, but soft enough that it wouldn't startle him.

Kelly watched intently as Matt stirred a little, bringing his hands up and tucking them under his chin. "Case?"

Was it weird that Kelly was currently thinking about how bloody _cute_ his grown-ass best friend was? 

"I'm awake," He mumbled, his eyes still heavy lidded. 

"Prove it." Kelly demanded with a smirk. 

Matt's eyes slowly cracked open and slowly he began getting his wits about himself. "Oh, shit." The blonde shot up, realizing where exactly he was laying, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean t-"

Kelly interrupted before Matt could say anything. "Don't worry about it. You seemed comfortable." He murmured, his heart seeming to pump blood awfully slow in these crucial moment. It felt like molasses slowly falling through his veins, taking it's sweet old time.

"I.. I-" Matt winced as his fingers shot to his forehead, a sudden pain shot to his head. He was unsure what to say, because he'd just been caught sleeping in Kelly's lap and what was he supposed to say about that? And this extra pain wasn't helping him think. "I shouldn't have.." 

"You okay?" Kelly asked, looking on worriedly. 

Matt nodded, clenching his jaw tightly because the movement just made things worse, "Just a headache." He replied hoarsely, "I'm fine."

"Case, you could be having the worst migraine known to man and you'd still say you were fine." Kelly shook his head knowingly as he snorted in amusement. "I'll get you some Tylenol."

Matt didn't even realize Kelly had gone until he was back, "Casey? Here, take these." He handed him two pills and held the water to his lips again.

"Thanks." Casey muttered before trying to stand up, "I'm just gonna go to the bathroom, I'll be right back." He reached a hand out to steady himself, which Kelly grabbed and held as he helped Matt walk to the bathroom.

Matt let Kelly lead him until he was knelt in front of the toilet. "Don't feel so good, Sev." Matt whispered as he leaned over the bowl, trying to steady himself. Kelly knelt behind Matt, gently rubbing his back. "It's alright."

The blonde proceeded to throw up for the next few minutes until he was retching up nothing but harsh stomach bile that burned his throat. Kelly stayed with him continuously rubbing his back comfortingly and just being there for the guy, because that's what friends do.

Matt seemed quite burned out, after the full day of construction and then the hospital, now having to deal with all this at home. It was a lot, even for someone as tough as Matt. He was still leaning over the toilet, despite the fact he had long since stopped puking. He was just so exhausted he felt as though he might just fall asleep right against the toilet.

Kelly however, had a better plan. He got Matt some fresh water and had him drink that, followed by some more Tylenol, since the last two pills had gone straight down the toilet. He then got a wet cloth and wiped off Matt's warm, pale face, trying to cool him down. 

"Time to go to real bed, I'd say." Kelly whispered, helping Matt stand up, holding him steady when the dizziness made it hard to stay upright.

Matt nodded, "Need... help."

"Of course, Case." Kelly chuckled softly, "You think I'm going to let you loose in your condition? I don't even want to imagine the havoc you'd cause."

"Thanks." The blonde smiled tiredly.

"Anytime." Kelly grinned widely, "Now let's get you to bed."

 

>>>

 

Once he got Matt stripped down to boxers and a t-shirt, he had him get in bed. "Damn, I can't remember the last time someone tucked me in." Matt smirked, his eyes sparkling in the dim light.

"Don't get used to it." Kelly laughed, pulling the blankets up to Matt's chin. "This is just how I treat all my concussed friends."

"And here I thought I was special," Matt sighed, feigning severe disappointment.

"Ha!" Kelly scoffed loudly, "You wish."

Matt just grinned, waiting as Kelly finished fussing with the blankets, "You don't have to wake me up for the rest of the night, I'll probably not be dead." The blonde shrugged.

"I'll be back in a couple hours," Kelly raised an eyebrow, "I need the odds to be better than _probably_."

Matt was already groaning at the prospect of waking up again, he just wanted to sleep forever. But nonetheless, he reluctantly said, "Okay."

 

True to his word, Kelly was back in two hours. He hadn't slept a wink since, he'd been mostly watching tv and pacing as he waited for the time to go by. He was worried because he couldn't see Matt so how the hell would he be able to see any changes, good or bad, in him? It was getting quite late at night at this point, and Kelly was exhausted to say the least. 

"Hey, Casey." Kelly whispered loudly, sitting on the edge of Matt's bed, nearly falling asleep where he sat. But Kelly powered through it because this wasn't about him, this was about Matt.

"Hi." The blonde muttered as he exhaustedly peeled his eyes open.

Kelly leaned a fraction of an inch closer, "What's my name?"

"Sevy." Matt murmured, stretching out and yawning.

"Close enough." Kelly chuckled, his voice fading into a whisper, "How are you feeling?"

Matt shrugged a little, "Not too well. Can I have more pills soon?" 

Kelly glanced at his phone to check the time, "Not for a couple more hours." 

The blonde nodded for a moment, a pained expression crossing his face for a split second. 

"What hurts?" Kelly asked concernedly.

"My arms," Matt put on a brave smile, "Must've just laid on them wrong."

Kelly sat a little further up the bed, "Here, let me have a look." He suggested with a reassuring glance.

Matt complied almost immediately which really showcased how much pain he was actually in. Because Matthew Casey didn't just tell people he was anything other than 'fine', even if he was very obviously not. 

Kelly turned on the bedside lamp and studied the braces for any sign that they could be sitting wrong, which they weren't. In fact, they were on just as perfectly as when the nurse had first put them on. "How bad do they hurt?" Kelly asked seriously, his voice steady as he watched Matt's facial cues.

"I'm fine." Matt looked anywheres but Kelly's eyes, "Really." He added when he could sense Kelly wasn't convinced.

"You're lying to me." Kelly had known Matt long enough to know when he was trying to put on a good front.

"I'm not." Matt insisted stoically.

Kelly frowned, "Casey, really, you don't hav-"

"I'm fine." The blonde interrupted, his brows furrowed in his quiet frustration.

"But you-"

"Severide. Enough. I'm fine." Matt uttered coldly, "I'm going back to sleep now." He turned around so that he was facing away from Kelly.

Kelly sighed, he supposed this was the irritability?

 

>>>

 

When Kelly went to wake up sleeping beauty once again, he was armed with more water and more pills to hopefully take the edge off. He'd still not slept much; tossed and turned in his own bed for a bit, but no worthwhile rest was had by him. 

"Case!" Kelly called gently as he stepped in his room, making his way overt Matt's bed and sitting on the edge of the mattress. "Guess who gets to do some pill popping!"

"Hallelujah." Matt muttered, letting Kelly help him sit up in order to swallow the pills and drink the water from the straw Kelly was holding against his lips. "You look like shit." He pointed out as he stared at Kelly.

Kelly smiled at him gently, "Thanks."

"Oh shit," Matt suddenly got all concerned and worried, "I've been keeping you up all night haven't I? I'm so sorry, man."

Kelly shrugged as he watched Matt swallow the pills. "You'd do the same."

Matt nodded without hesitation, "Yeah.." He murmured, trailing off into a comfortable silence.

Kelly's eyes drooped a little as another wave of exhaustion hit him. With a sigh he let himself fall onto the empty side of the inviting bed, stretching out his tired muscles. He only planned to lay for a split second, really. He just needed to relax for a second and then he'd make the trek back to his own room where he'd sleep until Matt needed to be awakened again.

Matt stayed awake for the next while, resting on his side, facing Kelly. His eyes were fixed on the man's chest as it rose and fell, inhaling and exhaling slowly, consistently. Matt tried to match his own breathing to Kelly's, just for the hell of it and soon, the blonde was nearly back to sleep. His eyes fluttered open once more before he let himself fall into that darkness he so longed for. Just at the exact same moment, Kelly, who had definitely fallen asleep, woke up. They just stared at each other for nearly a minute before either of them broke the silence.

"Sorry, man. I'll get out of here and let you rest." Kelly mumbled groggily, making a move to stand.

Matt reached out, placing a brace-bulked wrist on Kelly's chest, holding him in place. "Nah," He shook his head slightly, "I can rest just fine if you're here." He murmured, his eyes falling back closed as his exhaustion took over.

"Alright." Kelly whispered as let out a relieved breath, happy he didn't have to move. He didn't comment about the fact that Matt didn't take his hand away, Kelly simply let sleep pull him back.


	2. Chapter 2

Kelly's alarm woke the both of them at 5:30 in the morning. Matt peeled open his eyes and felt more relaxed than he imagined he would be feeling at this time of day, especially with the night he'd had. Matt was a little confused though, and not just because of the concussion. Because around his waist, was an arm gripping him tightly; and against his neck, he could feel breath tickling his skin. His entire body was encompassed by another body. _Kelly's body_. Matt felt like he should be weirded out by this, he couldn't help but thinking this was very wrong. But how could it be wrong, when it _felt_ so right? Matt stayed completely still in Kelly's arms, enjoying the feeling of being tucked inside this safe little space.

Then suddenly Kelly was pulling his arm away to hit the snooze button on his phone. He grumbled softly, his arm sliding back around Matt without really thinking. Matt smiled to himself, "Not going on your run?" He murmured in amusement.

"No," He chuckled quietly, "Your twenty-four hours aren't up, you still need someone to keep an eye on you." 

"Uh huh," Matt nodded. If Kelly could see him now, he'd see the twinkle in his big blue eyes. "Whatever excuse you need." 

Kelly smiled, "I don't need an excuse, do I?"

"Not really, I guess." Matt shrugged.

"How are you feeling?" Kelly inquired sleepily, a yawn following his words.

"More importantly... are we going to ignore the fact we woke up spooning?" Matt asked abruptly, a slight frown on his face.

Kelly's turn to shrug, "Is there a problem with it?"

"Well, no. But..." Matt trailed off.

"But you think it's wrong." It was more of a statement than a question.

Matt was silent for a few moments, "It's not, really. Right?"

"Just two dudes having a platonic cuddle, Case... It's fine. You know, actually I seen on TV that it's good for your health. Nothing bad about it, so I'd stop overthinking it." Kelly murmured, tightening his grip on Matt ever so slightly.

"I wasn't-" Matt began.

Kelly interrupted with a laugh, "You were definitely overthinking it."

"Fuck you, Severide." Matt chuckled softly, shaking his head. His eyes fluttered closed as he yawned.

Kelly grinned. "So, how are you feeling? You didn't answer my question."

"Dunno..." Matt murmured.

"Want me to grab you some meds?" Kelly asked quietly.

Matt shook his head, "It can wait."

"Secretly you just don't want me to leave. It's fine," Kelly replied teasingly, "I get it."

Matt scoffed loudly, a grin crossing his face. He'd never admit to that, not in a million years. That being said, to deny it would be a big lie and he tended to keep things pretty honest when it came to Severide. Matt toyed with the velcro on one of his braces, tempted to pull it off.

Kelly's voice softened a bit when he spoke again, "You should get some more sleep." He suggested, his hand moved to scoop up both of Matt's, pressing them to his chest. "And leave those on."

"Sure, mom."

 

>>>

 

It was around 7am Matt woke up for the second time. He'd been having a terrible nightmare, his body frozen in fear as he fell from high above the earth, hurdling down so fast he could hear the wind whipping around his ears. No parachute, nothing to break the fall. He'd hit the ground with a painful crunch and a sickening thud. Then it'd reset, the dream would start over and there he was falling from the sky and anxiously awaiting the pain and hurt that awaited him. It kept going forever and each time he'd hit the ground harder, tears falling from his face.

The only reason he finally woke up was because Kelly was gently shaking him, calling his name. Matt shot up with a gasp and found himself struck with a freight train worth of pain. 

"Case?" Kelly murmured. "You were yelling in your sleep are you-"

Matt didn't wait to hear the rest, he didn't reply as he rushed out of the room and to the kitchen, opening the medicine cupboard. He quickly searched for whichever painkillers he could find, knocking a few bottles to the floor in the process. He found the heavy duty pills in the back and hastily grabbed the bottle, pulling it towards himself. It slipped through his hands and immediately fell to the floor. Matt grunted in annoyance as he fell to his knees. His hands shook as shocks of hurt flowed through his wrists. He cried out in pain as he tried to open the child-proof cap.

"Casey?" Kelly was kneeling beside him a second later. "Case. What's wrong?"

Matt was only focused on trying to get at the meds. Kelly gently pried the bottle from Matt's hands, setting it down a few feet away. "Talk to me."

"Hurts... so bad." Matt winced holding up his shaking hands, tears cascading down his cheeks.

"Alright, Matt. But you can't have those ones. Go back to your bed, I'll get you something you can have, okay?"

Matt's whole body was quivering slightly, breaking out in a cold sweat, The anxiety was still flashing through him. "Just need to sit for a minute." He muttered, letting his arms lay limply on the floor beside him, as tears dropped onto the floor one by one.

"Okay. I'll get you something then." Kelly nodded, his eyes projecting just how seriously he was taking this. He quickly stood up and looked around, his eyes searching for the Tylenol or maybe some Advil.

Within thirty seconds, Matt was being given a couple pills and some more water. Proceeding that, Kelly brought some bags of frozen peas from the freezer, placing one under the wrist, and one on top of it, on each hand.

"Any better?" Kelly murmured, sinking down to the floor and sitting in front of the blonde.

Matt was staring at the floor, tears still falling from his eyes, even if he wasn't quite crying. His breathing was fast already, but over the next few moments, it just got faster and faster.

"Breathe, Case." Kelly urged gently, " _Breathe_."

Matt's eyes shot up, wide and panicked. "C-can't." He muttered under his breath, looking as terrified as Kelly had ever seen him.

Kelly acted quickly, positioning himself behind Matt and wrapping his arms around the blonde tightly. "Shhh.." He whispered softly, rocking Matt back and forth, tucking his head  underneath his chin. If there was one thing Kelly knew for a fact, it's that hugs relieved anxiety. "Breathe with me, okay?" Kelly instructed, keeping his voice soft. Making a long inhale, before slowly exhaling, waiting for Matt to follow suit. He repeated it for the next couple of minutes while Matt got his lungs under control and began winding down.

Matt slowly relaxed into Kelly, letting himself rest against the man's strong chest. The ice was soothing his throbbing wrists, and he was already feeling the effects of the medication at this point. 

"Wanna tell me what that was all about?" Kelly's voice was warm and comforting as it breezed against Matt's hair.

"Nothing."

"Casey." Kelly's tone was slightly reprimanding, but in an amused way, because that sure as hell wasn't just 'nothing'.

"Bad dream." 

"Wanna talk about it?"

Matt shook his head firmly, letting it loll to the side so his cheek was against Kelly's beating heart. Should he be in such close proximity to Severide? _Probably not_. Did Matt mind it? _Not really_.. And that scared him.

"That's okay," Kelly said understandingly, "You should go back to bed."

Matt shrugged. 

Kelly was a little confused, "You don't want to?" 

"Bad dream." Matt whispered again.

Merely a second later, Kelly had put two and two together. "You don't want to go to bed because of your dream?"

Matt nodded subtly, cringing inwardly at how pathetic he was acting, but he was too tired to pretend to be strong right now. 

"Well, do you think it would help if you slept in my bed?"

Matt thought for a moment before simply shrugged his shoulders, wincing as he stretched his fingers out.

"How about I help you to the couch and you can decide later." Kelly suggested. His right hand, which had been lying flat against Matt's heart, began rubbing circles on Matt's chest. 

"I can walk on my own..." Matt countered gruffly, trying to stand. But even standing was a struggle because he couldn't even push himself up.

Kelly slipped out from behind Matt, reaching down and pulling Matt to his feet. Kelly waited for Matt to walk to the couch, but he didn't move.

"Sev?" Matt whispered, staring ahead blankly.

"Yeah?"

Matt closed his eyes, "Uh... uh- dizzy." 

"You okay?" Kelly murmured, stepping in front of Matt and grabbing onto the man's arms, trying to offer some support. 

Matt's eyes fluttered open, "Yeah." He replied hoarsely.

"You need some help getting to the couch?" Kelly asked, a twinkle of concern flashing across his eyes.

Matt shrugged, looking up to Kelly with a sheepish smirk.

Kelly chuckled softly, "I'll take that as a yes," He flashed his signature grin at Matt before hoisting him into a fireman's carry.

"Last time you carried me like this was at the academy." Matt smiled as he reminisced, "You were a lot weaker then..." He said decidedly, a little frown on his face.

"Hah!" Kelly laughed softly, "Me?  _Weak?_  Never."

"But look at you now, so strong and ruggedly handsome." Matt continued as Kelly gently set him down on the couch. 

"Well you're not so bad yourself," Kelly grinned, patting Matt's knee.

"Any girls taking advantage of your rugged-ed-rug-ed-edness?" Matt frowned to himself as he stumbled over the last word, smiling softly when he sort of got it right.

Kelly shook his head, "None."

"I call bullshit." Matt's eyelids drooped a little. "There's no way that Kelly 'The Womanizer' Severide is single."

Kelly eyed Matt amusedly, "For real... Gosh, I haven't been on a date since.. forever."

"Oh shit, and I ruined your date last night." Matt looked over to Kelly with a sympathetic grin on his face, "Sorry, man."

"It's all good." Kelly smiled, "Bros before hoes."

Matt laughed. _His cheeky little laugh_.

"We got any beer in here?" Matt groaned, his arms taking on a new jolt of pain. He'd do anything to take the edge off at this point.

"You," Kelly voiced in disbelief, "are not mixing alcohol with medication."

Matt looked at Kelly disapprovingly, "You're not my mom,"

"True." Kelly nodded in agreement, "But am your best friend, and I'm not about to let you mix drinks with meds." 

"Well, then make it better." Matt begged, entirely sure he'd be ashamed or embarrassed of his actions later, but he needed relief.

"What can I do?" Kelly asked softly.

"I don't know," Matt moaned under his breath, his eyes piercing Kelly's own. There was something between them in that moment, something completely unexplainable. It was something special though, something that was making Kelly lean toward Matt. Something that had Matt flicking his gaze between Kelly's lips and eyes.

Now Matt was leaning too, ready to meet those perfect lips.

Suddenly Kelly's phone started ringing.

 _Moment lost_ , fallen into the eternity of unexacting fate.

Matt pulled away as Kelly cursed, digging into his pocket for the phone. Matt turned away as Kelly answered it, leaving the couch and going to the kitchen as he talked to whoever was on the other end. Matt heaved out a long sigh as he reeled because of what didn't happen.

Kelly came back a few minutes later, Matt heard his footsteps come closer. The blonde couldn't face him just yet though, so he pretended he was asleep. He acted like he was so exhausted that he couldn't stay awake, and why? Maybe because he was worried it would happen for real? Maybe because he was scared Kelly would pretend it'd never happened? He wasn't sure.

Kelly sighed softly when he returned to a sleep-ridden Casey, he was a little disappointed to see the man was asleep. He'd hoped to be able to talk this over, follow up perhaps... But Kelly wouldn't complain, he was just relieved that Matt was able to catch some more rest. He spread a large cozy blanket over the man and took one last look, a very  _longing_ look, before heading back to the kitchen, deciding to get some breakfast ready.


	3. Chapter 3

"Casey?" Kelly was gently shaking Matt's shoulder.

The blonde woke up a little bit, groggily looking over to the other man. "What?"

"Morning, sleepyhead." Kelly was grinning. Though he'd never admit it out loud, there was nothing more adorable than watching Matt wake up. The stretching, the squinting, that little frown, those big blue eyes. Gosh, if Kelly wasn't straight...

Well, actually, speaking of which. he wasn't.

Kelly was very much, not straight.

But if anyone asked, he was straight as they come.

This was determined after spending the night sharing a bed with some random man about a year ago. Though nothing happened between them, it made him feel _things_. Things that he couldn't explain, and things that he sure as hell couldn't express, even if he wanted to. These things also pertained to him realizing the way he felt about Matt.

So, yeah, Kelly wasn't straight, and maybe he didn't know exactly know what he was, what he should be labeling himself as, but neither did he care all that much. It's not like anything would happen between him and Mr. Straight-as-a-toothpick over there, the blonde-headed beauty that was still trying to squint against the morning sunlight. Although, was it just his imagination, or had he leaned into that almost-kiss too?

"It's about 9.." Kelly continued, "Thought you might like some breakfast."

Matt shook his head gruffly, "Not hungry."

"You gotta eat." Kelly encouraged, "I made your favourite, just saying."

Matt suddenly perked up, "Chocolate chip pancakes?" He questioned in surprise, opening one eyes.

Kelly nodded, reaching over and grabbing the plate from the coffee table. Kelly had already eaten his because he'd wanted to let Matt sleep as long as possible. Now Kelly was putting the plate in Matt's lap and holy hell was that worth the wait. The huge ear to ear grin at the sight of a stack of pancakes in his lap, dripping with syrup and whipped cream with extra chocolate chips on top.

"Sure you're not hungry?" Kelly teased knowingly.

Matt stared at Kelly, practically drooling from his mouth, "I never say no to chocolate chip pancakes,"

"I know." Kelly laughed, his smile dying down as he watched Matt try and fail to handle his fork properly. He couldn't quite grip it well enough, the brace came too far up his hands for him to be able to move his fingers enough to wrap around the utensil. 

"I can't even eat." Matt groaned in frustration, dropping the fork onto his lap with a grunt.

"Let me." Kelly murmured, grabbing the fork and beginning to round up the first bite.

Matt sighed, "Sev, you don't have to-"

"Eat, Case." Kelly smiled, holding a bite of food in front of his mouth.

The blonde shot him a disapproving glare, "I don't want to be fed." 

"Well," Kelly hummed lowering the fork for a split moment before raising his arms again, "Here comes the airplane." Kelly exclaimed, pulling his hand back and mimicking airplane noises as he sent the forkful of food towards Matt's mouth. Matt started laughing, turning his head as the food got closer. "Stop!" He shrieked holding an arm in front of his face, grin on his face.

"You like trains better? I have some great train sound effects." Kelly raised a brow, throwing in a one-shouldered shrug.

Matt shook his head, letting his arm drop, "I can't feed myself."

"That's why I'm helping you." Kelly said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, and maybe it was, but not to Casey. He couldn't for the life of him understand why Kelly would be willing to help him like this.

"But I don't..." Casey trailed off, his eyes falling to the floor. "I don't..." He wasn't quite sure what to say.

"You don't? ...What don't you want? ...Help? ...Food?"

"I- I..." There was a long drawn-out pause.

"Talk to me, Case." Kelly urged, setting the fork back onto the plate and the plate back onto the coffee table.

Matt shrugged his shoulders, staring blankly ahead. "I don't know."

"Yes, you do." Kelly raised an eyebrow.

The blonde shook his head, a frown on his face. "No, I don't."

"Case-"

Matt suddenly shut himself away from Kelly, his face guarded and his lips turning into a tight line. "I said, _I don't."_ There was a silence between them that, while it was quiet as night, it was screaming between them. The throbbing against the air was nearly unbearable. 

Kelly sighed, sitting back against the couch. "What do you need? ..What can I do, Matt?" He asked, his blue eyes desperately gazing into Matt's. 

"Fix my wrists?" Matt deadpanned, looking begrudgingly at his braces.

"I can try." Kelly smiled, "Just give me a minute." He added as he stood and left Matt. When he returned, it was with a bottle of cream and a few icepacks. "Alright, Case. I'll help your wrists feel better.. _if_   you eat your breakfast. And that means letting me feed you."

"Fine." Matt sighed wearily, not even bothering to fight it at this point. Kelly was too stubborn to let Matt skip breakfast, and Matt had no energy to try and disagree with him.

Kelly's grin was bright enough to light up the whole room. "Great." He announced, picking up the plate from the table and lifting the fork in front of Matt's mouth.

Matt was about to take the bite when Kelly pulled it back a little, "Wait," He exclaimed softly. "Airplane or train?"

"Go to hell," Matt laughed, shaking his head incredulously.

 

To his credit, Matt was able to eat about half of his breakfast before he couldn't stomach any more. 

"C'mon, one more bite." Kelly coaxed, holding the forkful of pancake in front of Matt's mouth.

"No." Matt groaned, "I'm full." 

Kelly's mouth parted slightly as he was taken by surprise. "Case, you can't tell me you're full, you usually eat three plates of these."

"Please?" Matt pleaded, his eyes big and blue, "I don't feel so good."

"Of course." Kelly nodded, a concerned look on his face. "I'll just put this in the kitchen and be right back."

 

As soon as Kelly returned, he could sense Matt's discomfort. "Ready?"

Matt raised his gaze, looking pleadingly at Kelly. What he was pleading for wasn't exactly clear to Kelly, and he couldn't quite read the man. "You want to stay here or lay down for a while?" 

"Lay. In the dark preferably." Matt muttered, his braces covering his eyes. "My head is killing me..."

"Hmm, alright." Kelly nodded, kneeling down in front of Matt. "Fireman's carry?"

"My stomach doesn't think that's a good idea." Matt grunted, standing up finding himself still  dizzy.

"I'll carry you gently. C'mere." Kelly mumbled, coming to a stand himself. He wrapped his arms around Matt, hoisting him up. Matt wrapped his legs around Severide's waist, resting his throbbing head in the little nook between the dark-haired lieutenant's neck and shoulder.

Kelly walked into his bedroom, it had blackout curtains on the windows which would provide Matt with all the darkness he could ask for. He didn't set Matt into bed right away, instead, he couldn't help but savour the feeling of holding him. One arm curled under his bottom, the other arm tightly tucked around his back.

"Is this how you treat all your sick friends?" Matt teased softly, drowsy from not only his lack of sleep, but also the pain and perhaps the medication as well. 

"Only the cute ones." Kelly teased, patting Matt on the back. Matt let out a huff of amusement, his breath tickling Kelly's neck. "How about I take care of those wrists?"

"You did promise after all." Matt mentioned as Kelly lay him down on the bed. The dark-haired lieutenant popped out for a moment to retrieve the bottle of cream and the icepacks.

Kelly straddled Matt's lower waist, "Mind if I sit here?" 

Something sparked in Matt because of the position they were in, making his groin flood with warmth. "Uhh- no." Matt replied lowly, his breath hitching. Utterly confused at the effect Kelly was having on him. _Must be the concussion_ , he thought to himself.

"Just tell me to stop if it hurts too much." Kelly murmured, as he began making work of Matt's wrist braces.

He slowly unstrapped the velcro, pulling the bulky brace off slowly. Matt had never know Kelly to be this gentle, his hands moving swiftly against his. "Feel okay so far?"

"Mhmm." Matt nodded, suddenly not quite so groggy. In fact, what was happening before him cleared his head nearly completely. It hurt, of course, it's not like his wrists had magically unsprained themselves, yet there was this sort of calming demeanour Kelly had about him that seemed to seep right into Matt. As soon as one wrist was free, Kelly slowly wrapped it in a bag of frozen corn, making sure all sides were covered. The second wrist was soon free of the constricting device as well, but instead of ice, Kelly grabbed the cream he'd brought.

"Are you sure you have time for this?" Matt asked curiously.

"Shh..." Kelly whispered, "Just relax. This is about you."

"About me?" Matt raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah. _You_. Gosh Matt, when's the last time you've taken care of yourself?" Kelly asked as he began gradually leaning forward, stopping his actions as he placed his hands on the bed on either side of Matt's head. He hovered down, the inches between their heads beginning to close, "When's the last time you let some _one_ take care of _you_?" Kelly let himself ease down, pressing his forehead against Matt's.

Matt's breath shuttered as tingles ran down his spine, he was rendered absolutely speechless. "I don't know."

"Maybe that should change." Kelly whispered, placing his lips against Matt's cheek, "Will you let me take care of you?"

Matt meant to say _yes_  or maybe _how,_  but all that came out was a strangled, breathy moan. "Yeah..." He managed to get out after a few moments, "Please."

"Alright..." The dark-haired lieutenant smiled a little as he looked down at Matt. "First thing's first, let me see if I can help with the pain," Kelly left a lingering, soft kiss on his forehead, brushing back his blonde hair. The man pulled back, grabbing the bottle of cream and putting some of the cold substance in his hands. He grabbed Matt's wrist, the one that wasn't currently being consumed by cold corn, and began spreading the cream across the skin. Kelly held the wrist steady and straight as he carefully massaged the tense, sore muscle. "The doctor recommended this pain relief cream when I sprained my ankle a few months ago, works wonders."

Matt's eyes fluttered closed, "Feels good."

"Is it helping?" He asked, rubbing gentle circles against the swollen, tender skin.

The blonde nodded, his messy hair bouncing a little as he did so. "Yeah." He mumbled, well on the way to becoming completely relaxed.

Kelly spent a good long while massaging Matt's perfect wrist of his, before switching to the other wrist. He moved the frozen bag to the other side, wrapping the other arm in it. Kelly began the process on the other arm, rubbing the tense sinew and muscles as gently as he could. It was quite comforting and Matt was nearly asleep by the time Kelly finished. The dark-haired lieutenant very gently slipped the braces back on, strapping together the 3 strips of velcro on the tops. 

"Not too tight?" Kelly whispered, reluctant to pull Matt from his doze, but he wanted to make sure he was comfortable.

Matt shook his head, peeling his eyes open. "Thank you." He yawned.

"I'll leave you to sleep then." Kelly smiled, getting off the bed and pulling the covers over Matt's exhausted, sleepy body. He tucked the blankets around him and turned off all the lights and closed the curtains, throwing the room into darkness. Kelly had his hand on the knob and was just about to go and leave Matt in peace, when the blonde himself spoke up, "Kel?" He whispered roughly, taking in a raspy breath.

Kelly looked up in surprise, "Yeah?

"Stay with me?" There was so much feeling behind those words, because it was more than just that. It was _I don't want to be alone, and I don't want you to go._  Matt's heart was just absolutely racing because here in the dark, he felt like he might just be falling. Fast, hard, and all at once; wind whirring by his ears, as he fell toward the hard ground that was ready to crush him with all it had. 

"Of course." Kelly murmured, crawling under the covers and laying beside Matt. He must say, he was a little surprised when Matt shuffled closer, resting his head on Kelly's chest and curling around the man. Kelly wrapped his arms around the blonde, holding him tightly. 

"I'm falling." Matt whispered softly, his voice shaky and faraway.

Kelly pulled Matt closer, tucking the man's head beneath his chin, "You're safe, I've got you."

 

>>>

 

The next morning, Severide was up and getting ready for shift early. Of course, Matt was awake too, out of habit, but he wasn't getting ready for work. He had the next few shifts off, or at least until his wrists were healed and he was out of those damned braces.

"There are four juice boxes in the fridge with the straws already in them, two water bottles with straws too." Kelly called as he prepared the last few things, "For lunch you've got a fruit smoothie ready to go, packed full of protein powder to make sure you heal up quick, with a straw. Oh, and for supper, you got some of that chicken soup broth thing that you like! With-"

"Let me guess," Matt interrupted, his face lit up in amusement, "A straw?"

Kelly grinned at Matt, "You catch on quick, Case, I'll give you that."

"You know I can eat solid foods right?" Matt raised his eyebrows at Kelly.

"True," Kelly chuckled softly, "You're just not too good at eating or holding them."

Matt rolled his eyes, feigning disbelief, "Don't underestimate me, Severide."

"I'm not.. But neither do I want you to starve while I'm gone." Kelly shrugged, holding the last spoonful of cereal from the bowl in front of Matt's lips.

"Would it be the worst thing?" Matt shrugged, taking the bite full of cheerios into his mouth.

"Umm," Kelly put the empty bowl in the dishwasher. "That would be the very worst of things. I'd rather not come home to your limp, lifeless body." The dark-haired lieutenant feigned a grimace.

"Pffft," Matt scoffed, "Takes longer than that to die of starvation."

Kelly laughed softly, "Is that personal experience talking?" 

"Yeah..." Matt mumbled, switching his gaze to the countertop, a brave smile on his face despite the strong sting he felt in his chest. 

Things were serious now. It wasn't this light hearted banter from just seconds before, it was heavy air with the burden of Matt's past as another little piece of the puzzle came into the light. Kelly didn't really know what to say, but he wanted to say something, wanted to say _'I'm sorry'_ , or perhaps something like _'I'm here if you ever want to talk'._ Kelly was just about to start talking, but Matt was speaking before he really started, changing the subject because that's what Matt did. He changed the subject when he wasn't comfortable, making sure the conversation wasn't about him, no matter how much he was hurting inside.

"Don't do anything stupid today." Matt's voice was quiet, the energy taken from him as his brain jolted, flashes of his past coming back to haunt him. 

"Never do." Kelly nodded firmly, his eyes not losing one bit of the concern he felt inside.

Matt raised an eyebrow in amusement, "Says the guy who ran into movie theatre last week, even though there was an active shooter."

"The popcorn machine was on fire! What was I supposed do?" Kelly laughed, enjoying the way they eased back into lax conversation.

"Maybe, _I dunno_ , wait for backup?" Matt teased, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "Wait till the police arrested the guy?"

"Hey, who knows what else could've caught on fire by then?" Kelly tried to explain.

Matt sighed, shaking his head. "Ever the hero."

Kelly giggled, his eyes sparkling with happiness. "You're not much better."

"True." Matt relented with a nod, a little twinkle in his blue orbs as well.

A slight pause as they gazed at each other in an easy silence, "I should probably get going." Kelly stepped around the island in the kitchen, standing in front of Matt. "You sure you're going to be okay on your own?"

"I don't need a babysitter," Matt turned in his chair to face the other man.

Kelly ignored Matt's attempt at distancing himself, "If you need anything, call me. Okay? Anything at all."

"Mhmm." Matt nodded, playfully big blue eyes staring up at Kelly.

"Alright, I should go." Kelly murmured, resting a hand on Matt's shoulder, giving it a squeeze before heading out the door. 

Matt wished deep down that he didn't have to be alone, that Kelly didn't have to go. They didn't sleep in the same bed last night, and Matt sorta wished they had. As weird as best friends bunking together was, it was comforting not to feel so alone. He'd woke up multiple times during his restless night, dreams of falling and crashing to the ground. His body cracking and twisting as it made contact with concrete or bedrock, even one time, a pool of lava. His only saving grace was that his wrists had another massage this morning just after wake up, when Kelly had seen the grimace on his sleep-deprived face.

The point is, Matt wasn't sure he was ready to be alone. A lot of the reasoning behind that was physical, he could barely even feed himself or take care of himself and Kelly would probably arrive home to him half-dead. But some other part of him just wanted someone with him because he couldn't bare that cold, desperate grasp of being alone. 

When he was younger, growing up in that _damn_ house, being by himself was the only safety he had in his life. At least when he was alone, no one was yelling at him, hitting him, pushing him around. If he was on his own, he could try to scrounge up his own food as he hid and ate, instead of having every single scrap of food taken away at home. He didn't have time to take care of himself past trying to survive, he didn't bother with pain relieving creams or medications because he couldn't afford those. He couldn't pay for any luxuries like that as a kid, because he had to buy his own food, buy his own school supplies. So being alone, it was his strong suit.

Now that he'd created a life for himself, being alone just reminded him of every painful thing from his youth. The bullying, the abuse.. So he'd tried his best to never live without a roommate if he could, and always surround himself with friends, even if they weren't much more than acquaintances. The noise of chatter, a group of hearts beating simultaneously, that's the membrane that held him together. 

He was getting better, of course. He could stay by himself for longer and longer periods of time before he'd start falling into that dark place in his mind. But even being alone for a small amount of time had a noticeable effect on him, he became withdrawn and sad. He did his best not to let it show, he really did, but it was hard to keep up that fake mask all the time.

Kelly called around 6pm, just after Matt had finished his 3rd movie in a row.

"Hey," Matt murmured restlessly, the slurp of the juice box could be heard through the speaker of the phone.

Kelly felt amused, "Hey there, just figured I'd check that you're still alive." 

"Oh, don't lie Severide," Matt scoffed, the corner of his mouth turning up in a smirk, "You just wanted to hear my sweet, angelic voice."

Kelly sighed exaggeratedly, "You've got me there. But do you blame me? I mean, gosh, it's just dripping with honey, isn't it?"

Matt chuckled softly, "How's shift?"

"Just got back from a lovely warehouse fire." Kelly sighed, moving some papers around at his desk.

"Oh, wow, lucky you." Matt murmured, "Not going to lie, I'm a little jealous."

"How are you?" There was no teasing in Kelly's voice, and Matt could hear the concern.

Matt shrugged to himself, "Fine."

"Okay," Kelly kicked back in his chair, stretching his legs out. "But how are you? Really?"

"Bored out of my mind." Matt huffed standing up from the couch.

Kelly smiled, "Figured. How was your smoothie?"

"Yeah... About that..."

"What?" Kelly was intrigued, an eyebrow raised.

Matt sighed, "I dropped it."

"You dropped it?" 

"I dropped it on the floor and it went everywhere. Took me two hours just to clean it up."

Kelly frowned in concern, "So you haven't had lunch?"

"Nope." 

"...You need to eat something,"

Matt laughed dryly, "Don't worry, I've had all the juice boxes, I'm good to go."

_"Casey."_

"Listen, it's fine. I'm not hungry anyways."

Kelly was not at all amused, "Case, please eat."

"You're not my mom, Sev." Matt sighed wearily.

"No, but I care about you."

The line went silent for a moment, "No one's ever said that to me before."

"Said what?" Kelly nearly had to pick his jaw up from the ground.

"That they cared," Matt's voice wavered as he tried to get it under control, "Nobody's ever told me that they care about me..."

If Kelly's heart didn't just about shatter into a million pieces when he said that. "Casey, I've always cared, always will... Just.. please eat okay? If not for yourself, do it for me."

"...Okay." Matt's eyes were a little moist at that moment, he'd be lying if he said they weren't.

Kelly rubbed a hand through his hair, "Try the soup maybe? I can order you some pizza? Do you think you can eat pizza?"

"Don't think I can." The blonde was crying now, doing his best to keep the noise of his sobs out of the phone.

He couldn't get anything past Kelly though. "Case? You okay?" His voice was soft, couldn't hide the worry. "Are you crying..? ..Case? What's wrong?" 

Matt could hear the alarms go off in the background and the dispatcher speak, a sign that Kelly would have to go. "I have to go, Matt. I'll call you the second I get back, okay?"

"Mhmm." Matt agreed his eyes shut tightly, trying to hold the tears back. And then the line went dead and he was alone again. Alone. All alone.

Matt cried and cried, and when he was done crying, he cried some more. He didn't know why, he didn't understand what was happening, and he didn't know what to do. He was so exhausted by the time his well of tears had dried, he didn't have a single ounce of energy left. But Kelly wanted him to eat and so he needed to try his best to eat. Matt sat in front of the fridge for a long while, eying the bowl of soup in the fridge. He couldn't even lift the smoothie without completely fucking that all up. There was no possible way at all, that Matt could lift that bowl, heat it in the microwave, and keep the soup inside and off the ground. He looked at the other things in the fridge, looking for something he'd be able to grasp without too much pain, that he'd be able to hold without it dropping.

Maybe a yogurt?          _Pffft. Good luck trying to get the lid off._

An apple?       _Not like he could cut or peel it, and he sure as hell wasn't eating it whole._

Beer?      Apparently not good to mix with a concussion. Also, not a food.

Matt switched his gaze to the counter.

Bread?       _Couldn't make, nor eat, a sandwich of any kind._

Cereal?       _He'd make too much of a mess._

Crackers?       _He'd never get the box open_.

 

Matt began crying again, this time out of frustration. He knew he couldn't eat anything, even if he wanted to and he was so upset by that. He was frustrated beyond belief about everything. These stupid braces, the stupid food, and the stupid pain. Matt broke down into sobs, smacking the tile floor as hard as he could which sent a pained cry from his lips. He cradled the throbbing hand and wrist against his chest, a puddle of tears collecting on the floor. His chest heaved as the darkness in his mind crowded around him, pushing him down and filling his mind with those terrible thoughts.

Matt cried himself to sleep there, all curled up on the tile floor. He missed Kelly's three calls and texts, he skipped supper, he skipped going to bed. Matt just let himself fall asleep, let his mind do whatever the hell it wanted to do even if that involved going to a dark place.


	4. Chapter 4

That's how Kelly found him the next morning, broken, in a ball, on cold tile floor. Asleep, shivering, and moaning in his sleep.

"Matt?" His voice was full of concerned as he discarded his bag on the floor and slid to his knees by Matt's head. "Matt?" He brushed back the blonde's hair, "What happened?"

Matt woke with a start, gazing his surprised, wild eyes straight into Kelly's. Within a few seconds Matt was able to reorient himself, figuring out where he was, what had _happened_. He started crying again, sobs shaking from his body as he reached out for the other man. Kelly immediately pulled Matt into his arms, rubbing his back softly as the man cried against his chest. "Shh... It's okay. I've got you now." 

Matt was shaking in Kelly's arms, a concerning amount. Whether from the cold of lying out on the freezing floor all night, or the overwhelming anxiety, Kelly wasn't sure. But he knew there was one thing that may just solve both of those problems.

Kelly scooped the blonde up in his arms as he stood, walking over to the master bathroom. He wasted no time in turning on the warm water, adding a little soap to the tub. 

Matt had just about sweat through all his clothes, or at least, that's what Kelly made of the situation. He figured there wasn't another likely scenario that would end in Matt getting drenched like that. It concerned Kelly immensely, seeing Matt like this. So unbelievably vulnerable, not at all shielding himself from Kelly. When Kelly touched Matt's wet clothes, they weren't warm in the slightest.

"Case, why are you so cold and wet?" Kelly asked gingerly, watching as the man continued to pour his eyes out.

The blonde shrugged. "I don't feel so good." Matt choked out, diving in front of the toilet as he emptied what little stomach contents he had. Kelly rubbed Matt's back as he gagged and coughed on the bile that left a sting his throat. 

About five minutes passed before Matt had nothing left to give, his stomach finally calming down some. "Better?" Kelly whispered gently.

Matt nodded as he flushed the toilet, collapsing backwards against Kelly who held him firmly in place. 

"How about you get in the bath?" Kelly asked, his fingers skimming through the damp, blonde hair. 

Matt shook his head. "Don't think I can," He muttered hoarsely.

"I'll help you." Kelly offered. Why the hell hadn't Matt told him things were this bad.

Matt gave another shake of his head, "Don't need.." He paused as a coughing fit took over, causing him to nearly puke again. "..any help.."

"Don't be stubborn." Kelly might have rolled his eyes if this weren't so serious, if he weren't so worried.

"I'm sure you have.." Matt sneezed and erupted into more coughs, "..better things to do." His eyes started filling again.

"Casey," Kelly started gently, "please let me take care of you."

Matt couldn't help the tears that rolled down his soft cheeks. His heart, every fibre of his being, told him to say yes. Matt wanted to be taken care of, or at least, he was pretty sure he did. Of course, how could he know for sure? He'd never really let anyone take care of him before, never really let himself put down his walls for another person.

Matt nodded slowly and relished in the feeling of those strong arms around him, lifting him onto the closed toilet seat. He leaned into Kelly even as he pulled back, nearly toppling back to the ground as a result. Kelly caught him though, helping him balance before turning off the faucet. The steaming water had already filled up the tub and it looked very inviting to Matt's cold, sore, and very stiff body.

Kelly peeling off Matt's soaked t-shirt, throwing it in the hamper in the corner. He tackled the blonde's sweatpants next, getting them free and chucking them in the same direction. There were a few silent moments as Kelly looked in awe at the man before him, those toned muscles and perfectly soft skin. All clothing gone, save for the boxers, a beautiful sight to behold. The dark-haired lieutenant wasn't sure if it would be going too far if he were to remove Matt's boxers and help him into the tub. Deep down, he knew he shouldn't do anything like that since his thoughts weren't exactly pure when it came to the blonde. But he also wasn't exactly sure if Matt could manage on your own, what with his shaking hands and his absentminded brokenness.

"I can do the rest." Matt whispered softly, staring down at the floor, breathing heavy, a sheen of sweat across his forehead.

Kelly turned around to face the opposite way, giving Matt some privacy, "Get in then. But I'm not leaving."

"Why not?" Matt questioned curiously, ungracefully peeling his boxers off and dropping them by his feet.

"Because I care about you, and I need to make sure nothing happens to you." He murmured, hands braced on the counter across from the bathtub, eyes focussed on the sink. Resisting the temptation to watch Matt take off the rest of his clothes; he liked to think he was a pretty stand up guy.

There was that little word again. _Care_. That still scared Matt a little, in some sense or another. Those four little letters, that one little syllable; it was the most unknown, unpredictable, confusing concept Matt could ever fathom. People didn't _care_ about Matthew Casey. Anyone who did was lying or wrong in the head... at least, that's how his father had put it.

 _"Oh."_   That was all Matt said, it's all he really could say.

"Is that okay with you?" Kelly asked. He didn't want to push Matt, didn't want to make him feel like he had no way out.

Matt was a little taken aback, "Uh- yeah..." He paused for a few moments as he sunk into the tub with a sigh. "I'm in."

Kelly turned around cautiously, making sure Matt was sure and truly ready for Kelly to see him. The sight of Matt's head and his perfect blonde hair popping out of the never-ending pile of bubbles was a picture Kelly would never forget. "Not too hot is it?" 

The blonde shook his head. "No, it's g-" Matt was interrupted by a sneeze, and then another one.

Kelly knelt in front of the tub, reaching out to rest a hand on Matt's forehead. Definitely a fever, not a serious one, but one nonetheless. "You have a cold." He stated, moving his hand to brush the thick blonde hair off the man's forehead. Matt leaned into Kelly's touch, the coldness of his hand a relief to his warm stuffy head.

Kelly wanted to ask Matt why the hell he was laying on the freezing tile floor instead of his nice warm bed, but that wouldn't help things right now. Instead he asked, "Is there anything you need? Anything I can get you?"

"C-can these come off?" Matt stammered, holding his brace-covered wrists in front of Kelly. He hadn't submerged them yet, he didn't really want to have soggy braces all day.

"Only for a while, try not to aggravate your wrists though." Kelly gently unstrapped the velcro and carefully pulled the braces off, setting them aside for later.

Matt winced as he slowly lowered them into the water, the warmth causing a bit of uncomfortableness throughout the swollen tissue. Slowly they adjusted to the temperature and he became a little more comfortable, but he still felt as though there was an elephant thrashing around inside his injured joints.

Kelly sat patiently as Matt closed his eyes, the feeling of being enveloped by the warm water was soothing and made him very sleepy. He lay there for fifteen minutes before Matt's breathing began getting a little too laboured for Kelly's liking. Soft wheezes came from every inhale and exhale, the build up of phlegm and mucus in his throat making him cough and cough.

It was in the midst of one of his coughing fits that Kelly had to help Matt sit up, just so he could hack out a lung. When it was over, Matt didn't lay back again, he stayed sitting upright. He leaned forward against the supportive arm Kelly had wrapped against his chest, his head resting gently on the man's shoulder. Kelly, meanwhile, rubbed Matt's back slowly and softly, trying his best to relax his friend.

 _Friend_.

Is that what they really were? Do friends help friends take baths?

A thought to ponder.

 

"Ready to get out?" Kelly murmured softly against Matt's blonde hair.

Matt shook his head, "N-no." 

"Okay, but only a bit longer, okay?" The dark-haired lieutenant laid a soft, barely noticeable, kiss against Matt's blonde tufts of hair. The man shivered silently against him. "You need to eat. Are you cold?" 

Matt nodded, pulling away from Kelly and sinking back into the water, which, by now was only lukewarm.

"I can wash your hair.. if you want..?" Kelly roughed up the blonde's slightly matted hair.

Matt's eyebrow quirked in surprise, "My hair's never been washed by anyone besides myself..."

"If you don't want me to..." Kelly trailed off slowly, his blue eyes earnestly trying to gauge Matt's feelings on the subject.

"N-no, no," Matt interjected, "If you want to... I'm fine with it."

Kelly smiled, "Sit up for me?"

Matt complied letting the arm around his back haul him into a sitting position. Matt's eyes fluttered closed as Kelly began by wetting Matt's hair, soaking it through completely. Kelly soon began massaging the shampoo into his scalp, going slowly and taking his time. It was important to Kelly that this would prove to be a good experience for Matt, he wanted the poor guy to know that there was someone in this world that really and truly cared about him.

"Feel alright?" Kelly murmured, one hand supporting Matt's neck, the other still rubbing Matt's head with care.

"Yeah," Matt whispered, his lips parting just slightly. 

Kelly continued until he'd nearly put Matt to sleep, stopping because Kelly didn't exactly want Matt to be asleep just yet. Severide rinsing Casey's hair out, washing away all the suds, making sure not to get any soap in his eyes.

Kelly gently set Matt back against the back of the bathtub before searching for the plug, pulling it, and beginning the process of emptying the tub. Kelly then stood grabbed a towel from the shelf and unfolded it, holding it loosely in his hand, offering it towards Matt. "My eyes are closed," Kelly spoke softly, a smile on his face.

"And they say chivalry is dead," Matt grimaced as he stood up, letting the water drip off him as the cold draft brushed against his skin. He reached for the towel, but his hand twisted the wrong way, reminding him that his movements were limited. "I don't think I can..." Matt trailed off, frustrated once again by his inability to do anything.

"I've got you." The way Kelly spoke eased some of Matt's annoyance. 

The dark-haired lieutenant kept his eyes shut as he reached forward, landing a hand on Matt's chest. He slowly snaked his arm around to his back, followed by the other hand and towel. Kelly's palms met against Matt's spine, his fingers sharing the even grasp on the long edge of the towel. Kelly's calloused hands moved to either side of the blonde's sides, until he was able to detect the man's ribs. The movement spread the terrycloth against Matt's back, warming the man a little. 

Though he had no vision to help him navigate Matt's naked body, it was easy to explore the even planes of the soft skin, and he'd admired him without a shirt enough times to know the geometry of his well-built frame. 

Kelly gripped the edge of the towel between his index and middle fingers as his palms cascading down Matt's sides, hands falling to his hips. Matt was appreciative that Kelly had his eyes closed because otherwise he may have to explain why exactly his little friend was so excited at the current moment. Kelly wrapped the towel loosely around the man's hips, and tucked the corner of the terrycloth in so it stayed on by itself.

"Is it okay?" Kelly asked curiously, not exactly confident about his handiwork.

"It's great." Matt's voice was low and gravelly, "You can open your eyes, if you want."

Kelly's eyes fluttered open, his gaze meeting Matt's before switching to the towel, amused at how perfectly he'd managed to set it. He may just know Matt's body a little too well, though the truth was that neither of them really minded that. 

Kelly took a look at the drips that were gently falling down Matt's body, and the goosebumps on the man's arms. "Cold?" He asked softly, grabbing another towel off the shelf and using it to dry Matt off, from his head and face, down to his waist, then drying his legs. 

Matt nodded, "Yeah."

"Well," Kelly murmured as he helped Matt step out of the empty tub and onto the bathmat, "We better get you warmed up then." He smiled, gently slipping Matt's braces back on.

Matt smiled sheepishly as he stared towards the floor.

"I'll uh-" Kelly paused, picking up the rest of Matt's laundry and throwing everything in the hamper. "I'll go make some breakfast." He murmured, leaving Matt on his own incase he needed to take a pee or something.

Matt was left staring curiously at Severide as the man stepped out of the room. The blonde sighed, he felt much more relaxed than he was an hour ago, that's for sure. Yet there was something bothering him in the back of his mind, something he couldn't quite place and this time, he didn't think it was the concussion.

The blonde hesitantly walked from the bathroom to his own room. He stood in front of his door for a few minutes, trying to figure out how to get the door open. He had tried twisting the doorknob a couple times, but his tender wrists had screamed in protest. 

"Sev?" Casey called defeatedly. He was staring frustratedly at the door in front of him when Kelly appeared by his side a moment later.

"Yeah?" Kelly asked, leaning with his shoulder against the hallway wall.

Matt switched his gaze to the blue orbs looking at him, he could see the worry dancing across his eyes. "What can I do for ya?"

"The door." Matt mumbled, "I can't open it."

"I've got you," The dark-haired lieutenant smiled, giving the knob a quick twist and pushing it open.

Casey sighed gratefully, "Thanks."

"No problem." Kelly winked beginning to make his way back to the kitchen, "Breakfast'll be ready in ten." He called over his shoulder.

In those ten minutes, the only think Matt had managed to do was put on his boxers. Literally, that was it, and he'd only just managed that. He'd not managed to find a shirt, because most of them were in the laundry and he didn't want to wear any of his work shirts. And on top of that, there wasn't any possible way to put on the joggers he'd picked out. So, with watery eyes he slumped with his back against the wall, sliding down it until he was on the ground.

He shook as tears silently fell from his eyes, his body wasn't working and it was beyond frustrating. He didn't no how long he was sitting there or how long he was crying. 

"Case?" Kelly called from the hallway. "Breakfast's ready."

Casey quickly stood up and wiped his eyes, slapping a fake smile on his face like nothing was wrong. His hands were shaking, hell, his whole body was shaking. The tears were still threatening to fall, and his wrists hurt like hell, but nothing was wrong. That's what Matt had to keep telling himself; nothing's wrong. Matt exited the room quietly, making his way to the kitchen.

Kelly couldn't peel his eyes away if he wanted to when Matt walked in, clad in only his boxers. "When I suggested you get warm," Kelly stepped a little closer, a half smile on his face, "I figured you'd put some clothes on."

"I- I can't." Matt was shaking, but if it was from the cold or something else, he didn't know. 

Kelly was looking more closely at Matt now, "Were you crying?" He frowned, already knowing the answer.

"I can't do anything." Matt's voice was small, cracking as he spoke.

Kelly was walking right up to Matt now, wrapping his arms around the man. He felt a little pool of tears begin to form on his shirt as he rubbed Matt's back, "Shh.. It's okay."

"But it's not," Matt murmured, shaking his head.

"But it will be." Kelly held Matt's body against his own. "C'mon, let's get some clothes on you."

Kelly grabbed the blonde's hand gently, holding his fingers more than anything, and walked into Matt's bedroom, "What would would you like to wear?" 

Matt shrugged and let his hand fall, "I don't have many clean clothes right now."

"Alright," Kelly murmured with a smile, "Well, I'll do some laundry for you today, in the mean time, I have an idea."

Matt glanced up skeptically, a hint of curiosity in his bloodshot eyes.

"Just, come here-" Kelly reached out to gently grabbed Matt's hand again, "Come with me." He smiled warmly.

Matt sighed softly, letting Kelly lead him out of the room. Kelly carefully pulled Matt into the bedroom across the hall, the one belonging to Kelly. He helped Matt, shivery and shaky as he was, sit on the bed, while he went over to the dresser and pulled out some joggers and a long-sleeved shirt. 

"Sev you don't have to-" Matt began.

"Matthew Casey," Kelly grinned, standing in front of the blonde, "When are you ever going to learn?" He shook his head fondly. "I know I don't _have_ to do anything. It's just that, I _want_ to. I know that might be hard for you to believe but I _do_ care a lot about you."

Matt smiled a little at the words, "Really?" He asked in surprise. That was the sad part for Kelly, that Matt was so surprised that someone cared. Out of the billions of people in the world, Matthew Casey was the one human who most deserved to be cared about.

"Really." Kelly grinned, pulling the shirt over Matt's head. He gently pulled Matt's arms through the sleeves, carefully minding the braces. 

"So t-tell me if I'm wrong," Matt smirked, shivers still running through his body. "But if I r-recall correctly, this is your favourite shirt?"

"It is," Kelly smiled sheepishly, pulling the shirt down and settling the hem against Matt's hips. The dark-haired lieutenant knelt down in front of the man, helping him put on the soft, snug pants. 

"W-what did I do to deserve the op-oportunity to wear your favourite c-clothes?" Matt stuttered.

Kelly pulled the waistband past Matt's freezing legs, the soft fleece brushing against the man's knees and thighs. He had Matt stand up as he pulled the waistband up to those perfect hips, running his finger around the inside of the elastic, straightening it out. "You didn't have to do anything," Kelly laughed, tying up the drawstrings on the front of the joggers.

Matt looked at Kelly in confusion.

Kelly's grin faded into a soft smile "You deserve everything." He murmured carefully, his eyes twinkling as Matt's own bright orbs widened.

The blonde shook his head, "I don't."

Kelly paused for a moment, pensively studying Matt. "Do you trust me?" 

"Of course." Matt nodded firmly. "With my life.

"Do you think I'd ever lie to you?" 

Matt shrugged.

Kelly raised an eyebrow in very slight amusement, "Matt... You're probably the only person in my life that I've never lied to."

The blonde waited, sensing that Kelly wasn't quite done of what he was trying to say.

"I'd never lie to you, in fact." Kelly wrapped his arms around Matt's lower back. "So believe me when I tell you that you deserve everything good in this world."

"Y-you're too optimistic, Sev." Matt mumbled as another shiver coursed through his cold body, letting himself be pulled into Kelly's magnetic embrace. "The world isn't fair." 

"Maybe, maybe not." The dark-haired lieutenant smiled, closing his eyes as Matt leaned into him.

All was quiet and happy and relaxing in their little corner of the world, that is, until Matt broke down into a coughing fit. "Take it easy, buddy." Kelly clapped Matt's back comfortingly, holding him steady. Matt soon recovered, leaning on Kelly for support. "I'm- I'm sorry." He muttered hoarsely.

"Don't worry about it," Kelly heaved Matt's body into his arms, "Let's get you on the couch, you need to eat some food."

"I can walk.." Matt trailed off, his head sneaking to that comfy spot against Kelly's shoulder. There wasn't really much fight in him as Kelly carried him into the living room. 

Kelly shook his head fondly, a smirk playing on his lips. Silently, he wondered how long it'd be before Matt dropped the idea of not being worth the effort. As he laid him gently on the couch, he hoped it wouldn't be much longer. There was only so much he could bear to watch when it came to the blonde man's perception of himself.

Kelly pulled Matt's plate from the coffee table and began loading up a forkful of scrambled eggs. Matt sighed at having no choice but to be fed by someone else's hand, though he had to admit, he was looking forward to the food itself. He'd smelled it all the way from his room as he struggled to get his boxers on.

The TV was on, adding an absent white noise to the otherwise quiet home. Kelly wasn't watching, not besides the occasional glance to the screen, instead, he spent most of his focus on feeding the blonde. Matt wasn't really concentrating on the TV either, his main goal was to try and warm up as well as attempt not to miss any of the food on the fork. The latter was going outlandishly better than the former, and it was with some frustration that he managed to hide his seemingly endless shivering. Matt was only half done of his eggs and had only managed one slice of bacon before he refused another bite. Kelly wasn't too pleased that Matt's appetite was still so small, but he knew better than to push it. Instead, he took it upon himself to finish Matt's breakfast, wolfing down his own plateful of food immediately after.

"You still cold?" Kelly asked in concern as he gathered the plates. 

Matt nodded with a frown, his gaze not leaving the screen. "W-we have anything for sore throat?" The blonde asked softly, his voice a little raspy.

"I'll have a look while I get you something for your fever, anything else I can get you?" Kelly inquired.

Matt shrugged, "I'm fine."

Kelly kept his gaze locked onto Matt sceptically as he lifted the plates from the coffee table. "I'll be right back," He called over his shoulder as he went to the kitchen, pausing for a moment to sigh at the situation. Matt was supposed to be getting better, not worse. First the sprained wrists and the concussion, now the he was getting sick. He wished for nothing more than to make it better, wished he could just heal the poor guy with a snap of his fingers. Kelly dug out the bottle of Advil out of the cupboard, shaking a couple pills into his hand before searching for something that could make Matt's throat feel better. Unfortunately they were out of any lozenges that would have provided Matt with some relief, so it'd be down to a more natural solution.

Kelly couldn't resist peeking out of the kitchen for a moment, unable to stop himself from taking in the form of the shivering, shaking blonde. Kelly went about looking for some honey, as it was the only thing they had on hand to soothe a sore throat. He brought that, along with a cup of water, and the pills, right to the couch.

Kelly pushed the pills into Matt's waiting, open mouth, holding the water to his lips so he'd be able to swallow the medicine down. Matt was still ice-cold and Kelly knew he needed to change that, and fast. But first, Kelly held the spoonful of honey to the man's lips.

"This may help a bit." Kelly murmured as Matt opened his mouth, letting the honey slide down his throat.

"Thanks." Matt replied softly, shuttering as another burst of coldness swept through his body. Kelly took that as his cue to start warming things up.

He grabbed a very soft and cozy blanket, wrapping it around Matt as tightly as he could manage. The dark-haired lieutenant rubbed Matt's back vigorously, trying to use friction to produce some warmth. Their blue eyes met for a moment until Matt sneezed a couple times just before letting out a giant yawn.

"You should get some sleep." Kelly whispered, getting up to grab another blanket. He lay down on the couch, pulling Matt to lay on top of him, spreading the extra blanket over both their bodies.

The thought of pulling himself away from Kelly didn't even cross Matt's mind. Laying facedown on top of Kelly.. it made him feel safe and secure, the meds were beginning to kick in, and his body was warming up thanks to he heap of blankets and the body heat. Matt lay there, awake, his eyes trained on the TV, occasionally laughing at the comedy that was playing. Kelly's heart was soothing under Matt's ear, the consistent beat and the rise and fall of his chest were comforting.

Wasn't more than a few minutes later when Matt had another nasty coughing fit, followed by a long drawn out yawn.

 "Sleep, Matt... Just sleep." Kelly murmured, snaking his fingers into the blonde's slightly damp hair, scratching his scalp in a soothing manner.

Matt was much to exhausted to disagree. Every weary inhale brought the scent of Kelly to him, that familiar smell that made him feel... well, _at home_. Matt wasn't able to stay awake much longer as he enjoyed the feeling off his head being massaged like this, as well as the comforting arm that was wrapped around his shoulders. The warmth seemed to seep straight from Kelly into Matt, the heat insulated by the two blankets that surrounded him.

Matt's eyes fluttered closed slowly, his lids were heavy and were all but dragged down by gravity itself. 

 _"I got you."_   Kelly breathed out, his whisper so soft, Matt nearly missed it. The blonde didn't miss it though, and he smiled when he heard it. He moved one of his braced wrists up to the side of Kelly's head, letting his fingertips rest in the man's dark hair as he gradually fell into a deep sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Matt was completely and utterly exhausted. He had slept on Kelly for a good few hours and after he woke, rested on him for the same amount of time. Yet he was so very tired, and every move he made was a severe struggle because he had zero energy. This led to Matt decide to go to go to bed when it was only 7:00pm in the evening. 

"Are you sure?" Kelly asked among his bevy of other questions, "Do you need help?"

"I can manage." Matt yawned, stretching his arms out above his head. He stood up, albeit a little shakily at first, though he managed to catch his balance.

"Alright," Kelly nodded skeptically, "Just yell if you need anything."

Matt gave a grunt of affirmation as he slowly walked to the bathroom. He was able to relieve his bladder with at least some ease, however it took a lot longer to do than normal. Brushing teeth was a problem too, he didn't have enough strength in his wrists to effectively accomplish the task. So off he went, back to the living room, toothbrush and toothpaste clamped between his braces. Matt dropped both items into Kelly's lap, looking down with a sigh.

Kelly just grinned as he went about putting some toothpaste on the brush. "Open up." He coaxed to Matt, who was now sitting beside him on the couch. Matt complied, opening his mouth and letting Kelly brush his pearly whites, because fuck knew he couldn't do it himself.

"Done." Kelly murmured softly, only a couple minutes of minutes later. He handed the brush to the blonde, who immediately snatched it and went to go spit. Matt rinsed off the brush and tossed it on the counter, before spitting out the toothpaste and leaning to the stream of water erupting from the faucet, taking a few sips. Normally, Matt would have put his toothbrush away, rinsed the sink, maybe put away the toothpaste, but he was too tired. Matt wasted no time in going to his room and flopping on the bed. Why on earth did he have to put _both_ wrists out of commission?

 

>>>

 

He slept great for a few hours, and then suddenly he wasn't even asleep at all. He was awake, and uncomfortably so. His wrists contained a dull pain that throbbed against the tightness of his braces, and all Matt wanted was to cut his arms off and grow some new ones because this was damn frustrating. He felt so useless. And to make matters worse, for some reason unbeknownst to him, his pants were tented very obviously. He had a raging erection that demanded to be taken care of, yet he knew how difficult that would be.

Matt let out a long sigh, trying his best to go back to sleep. Except... He couldn't, because all his mind could concentrate on was how badly he needed relief from his hard, throbbing member. Five minutes of tossing and turning later, Matt couldn't bear it any longer. He determinedly sat up, back against his headboard. He wasn't sure what had him so riled up, so excited, craving something hot and sweaty to peel away the layer of tension that was being built up.

Matt let out a muffled, pained grunt as he pushed the waistband of his boxers and joggers down to his thighs. He was so turned on he just went right for it, touching himself with his right hand as he normally would. Matt sighed out in relief at the stimulation, but winced at the scratchiness of the brace rubbed against the tender skin. This was definitely not going to work. Maybe if he just took the brace off, just for a little bit... If he was careful, it surely wouldn't hurt. Matt ripped the velcro open on his right splint, gently tugging the brace off. He clenched his fingers and stretched them out a few times, wincing as he did so. Matt's hand shook ever so slightly as he reached out to his member, he started slow, building up speed and pressure as he went. That lasted for all of about six seconds, and then he was crying out in pain as his wrist jolted the wrong way. 

Kelly was just about to head into his bedroom to turn in for the night when he heard Matt's pain-filled moan. He didn't think for a second before opening Matt's door and letting himself, "Matt?" He asked, eyes full of concern. Between Matt's surprised expression and the rest of the scene before him, Kelly gathered what was going on.

"I- I was just-..." Matt stammered, trying to pull his pants up. He'd forgot for a moment that his wrist had no brace and went to bend it as normal, but a shooting charge traveled through the tendons, making his hand freeze where it was. 

"Matt, stop." Kelly stepped closer to the bed, surprising both of them. "Let's put your brace back on, okay?"

Matt's breathing hitched as Kelly straddled his waist, sitting directly on top of his throbbing dick. The dark-haired lieutenant knew exactly where he was, he could feel the hard thickness pulsating even through his thick sweatpants. Kelly took Matt's unsupported wrist in his hand and tenderly slid the brace on, wanting to get the soreness under control.

"You know you're not supposed to take those off," Kelly reprimanded gently, a hand coming up to Matt's cheek. 

Matt sighed in frustration, "I just needed... _ughhh_." He threw his head back against the pillow he was leaning against. He couldn't think, the embarrassment, the blood flow going to his groin, it was all too much.

"I know what you need." Kelly murmured with a small nod, a little smile gracing the edges of his lips.

Then suddenly Kelly shuffled a little bit backward until he was sitting on Matt's thighs. They both watched as Matt's leaky member sprung up. Kelly took hold of the entire situation, he slowly grabbed the other man's cock, surprising both of them. 

"Kelly, you don't have to-"

"Shut up and let me take care of you," Kelly grinned mercilessly and shook his head fondly, he tightly stroked Matt, leaning into the blonde's lips as he gasped. He built up a steady pace,  swallowing each and every one of Matt's moans with an eager tongue and passionate lips.

He had Matt coming so hard, the blonde was only able to see white through his clenched eyes. The sound Matt made, oh that _fucking noise_ \- a mix between a porn star moan, a handful of gasps, and Kelly's name - it drove Kelly absolutely insane and he couldn't hold himself back from coming in his own pants with a muffled cry. He ground himself against Matt's thigh, seeking any and all friction he could get. Meanwhile, Matt made a mess all over Kelly's hand as well as his own toned abs, his body relaxing into the bed beneath him.

Matt's chest was heaving as he let out a chuckle, "So, that happened."

Kelly studied Matt pensively, looking to gauge the man's reaction, hoping he wouldn't regret any of this. He hoped he'd read Matt right, that he hadn't taken advantage of the blonde in any way, he surely hadn't meant to. Kelly wasn't sure if he'd be able to live with himself if he hurt the man, or if Matt hated his guts because of it. "It did." He nodded.

Matt smiled widely, an action that immediately relieved any worry Kelly had had. "That was.." He trailed off, letting out a long sigh of relief. 

"Pretty fantastic?" Kelly finished.

Matt peeked open an eye to see Kelly grinning at him like an idiot, "Yeah. Pretty fantastic." He smiled, his body so sated he felt he could barely move a muscle. Meanwhile, Kelly excused himself to the bathroom to clean up what he could inside his boxers and grabbing a washcloth, going back to Matt's bedroom. He was gentle and careful as he cleaned Matt up, taking extra time to add a relaxing touch.

"Thank you." Matt murmured, after Kelly had finished.

Kelly looked up to the blonde's face, surprised to see the man wide awake, he'd thought for sure Matt would fall right to sleep. "Oh," He smiled softly, leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to Matt's forehead, "My pleasure." 

Matt wrapped his arms around Kelly and pulled him down for a kiss on the lips. Kelly let his body relax on top of Matt's, his hands cupping the man's face delicately. Matt spun them around so he was on top, before pulling the covers up around them both and resting his head on Kelly's chest.

"Remind me to sprain my wrists more often." Matt laughed softly, his arm reaching out to Kelly's hand. Kelly snaked his fingers around Matt's, causing the blonde to smile. 

"You know you don't have to have to be injured for us to do stuff like that, right?" Kelly snorted in amusement.

Matt quirked an eyebrow in surprise, "No?"

"Actually, for the future, you should probably know it's preferably if you're not injured." Kelly threaded his fingers into Matt's hair. "I hate seeing you in pain."

Matt laughed softly, quirking an eyebrow instinctively, "Future? You saying there's a next time then?"

"If you're okay with that?" Matt could hear the grin through Kelly's voice.

"More than okay." The blonde nodded, burying his face in Kelly's chest.

Kelly smiled, kissing the top of Matt's blonde hair. "Good."

Matt yawned quietly, relaxing against Kelly's body. "Get some sleep, Case. Tomorrow's another day." Kelly murmured, tucking the blankets up to Matt's chin.

Matt smiled as he dozed into oblivion and for the first time since the accident, he was actually thankfully for he'd gotten hurt. Because hell knows if he would've ended up in bed with Kelly _damn_ Severide if he hadn't.

 

>>> 

 

When Matt awoke, it was with a smile. Sure, his wrists hurt like hell, his head wasn't much better, he was sick as anything, but there was definitely one big redeeming factor. That being, his body was currently being enveloped by an ever so slightly larger one. There were arms wrapped around him, pulling him against the large strong chest in front of him. Their legs were a tangled mess, one that neither wanted to sort out. He shifted a little in Kelly's hold, getting a little closer.

"Hey, good morning, sleepyhead." Kelly murmured with a grin, his voice still raspy from having just recently woken up himself.

Matt responded with a yawn, burying his face in Kelly's soft t-shirt. 

"How are you feeling?" The dark-haired lieutenant asked softly, one of hands slipping underneath Matt's shirt, scratching up his spine.

"Still alive... barely." Matt winced as a jolt shot through his wrist and head simultaneously.

Kelly nodded, "Can I get you anything for the pain?"

"No. I'm fine." Matt shrugged wearily, he was already tired despite having just woken up. "Think I'll try a hot shower."

"That's a good idea," Kelly sighed softly, pressing his lips to the top of Matt's head, "Want any help?"

Matt chuckled lowly, "You know my twenty-four hours are up, right?"

"Doesn't mean I care any less," Kelly pointed out with a smile.

The blonde took a deep breath, the smell of Kelly making him feel warm, safe, and content, "Well, in that case. I may just take you up on your offer." Matt smirked, craning his neck upwards so he could kiss those perfect lips that seemed to be begging for attention.

"It would be my absolute pleasure.." Kelly uttered softly between kisses.

"You know.. I'm gonna need some help getting undressed."

Kelly grinned from ear to ear, a blush creeping up his cheeks. "No problem."

"May need some help getting clean up too..." Matt raised an eyebrow, smirking knowingly.

"Matthew, don't you worry about it." Kelly smiled wholeheartedly, placing a gentle kiss of the man's lips, "I'll take care of you."


End file.
